Behind the Screen: The hidden life of youth online

Many young people are effectively being ‘raised online’ spending in excess of 20 hours a week using sites such as bebo, Myspace, Facebook and YouTube, according to a new research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr). This is over three times higher than previous official estimates. This new research comes ahead of the final report of the Byron Review of children and new technology, set up by Gordon Brown in 2007 and headed by Dr Tanya Byron.

The report argues that with children being ‘raised online’ the Government and Internet companies need to do more to protect young people from inappropriate content and to promote and enforce guidelines on the limits of acceptable behaviour.

About the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr): ippr worked with young people aged between 13 and 18, holding deliberative workshops and in-depth interviews. The research found that young people are 'constantly connected' staying up to the early hours with many leaving their mobile phones on all night in case they receive a text message. But a lack of parental knowledge and understanding means that few have any idea about what their children are doing online.